By Grace Allen

There’s a three-way race for two seats on the Wrentham Select Board in the April 7 Town Election. The candidates agreed to answer some questions for readers of Local Town Pages.

William D. Harrington

 Occupation: Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Executive Office of Public Safety, assigned to

the Massachusetts State Police Fleet Administration. 

Town boards and committees served on: Previous member of Finance Committee (FINCOMM), Capitol Budget Planning Committee, Selection Committee for DPW Director, King Philip Youth Football Coach. Current member of St. Mary Parish, Wrentham Knights of Columbus, Wrentham Lions Club, Wrentham Sportsmen’s Association, Wrentham Conservation Preservation Committee (CPC) Vice Chair.

Why are you running? I’m running for re-election to continue progress that I’ve been involved with over the last three years. During this time, the Board worked with the Town Manager to create a balanced budget, and we have made positives changes to our town center with a new center parking lot and the Sweatt Park renovations. We have all worked well together for the good of our town and its residents.

How would you propose funding local services in the short term, including schools, police, and public works, while keeping property taxes manageable for residents? We diligently review the tax split each year, taking a hard look at the impact it will have on our residents and small businesses. In addition, each department budget is developed with tight controls in which a balance is met to provide a high level of service and being fiscally responsible.

What is your view on Wrentham’s long-term financial sustainability, especially considering potential infrastructure needs and other growing demands in the future? The board develops and evaluates strategic goals and priorities itemized in specific areas which include Capital Planning and Infrastructure, and Economic Development. I believe it is imperative to have a long-term plan for the town and its residents. This allows for consistent evaluation, accountable and fiscal responsible planning for the town and its residents.

What is your position on the MBTA Communities Act? I remain committed to obtaining important fiscal impact information from the state related to the MBTA Communities Act. This fiscal impact analysis would be related to education, public safety, public works and infrastructure. This information is imperative to allow our residents to make an informed decision on whether to adopt an MBTA zoning bylaw.

Leo E. Immonen

 Occupation: Retired.

Town boards and committees served on: Conservation Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, Open Space Committee, Solid Waste Recycling Committee.

Why are you running? I am running to provide the voters with a choice between my years of experience in Wrentham government vs. the other candidates.

How would you propose funding local services in the short term, including schools, police, and public works, while keeping property taxes manageable for residents? It’s important to ensure that all taxes and fees are collected. To supplement those sources, I would seek state and federal grants.

What is your view on Wrentham’s long-term financial sustainability, especially considering potential infrastructure needs and other growing demands in the future? We must balance the value of long-term projects vs. the limitations they impose on immediate funding needs.

What is your position on the MBTA Communities Act? The town must carefully weigh the benefits of maintaining local control vs. allowing the state to rewrite our zoning bylaws.

Roy C. Lamothe

 Occupation: Corporate Development - lead the Integration efforts for laboratories acquired around the world for UL Solutions.  A safety science and testing organization.

Town boards and committees served on: None, as my professional career had required travel each week to Chicago or acquired companies.  Since COVID I have had the good fortune to work from home and now have time to give back to our community. I also volunteer as a director for the Friends of Wrentham, a nonprofit organization that financially assists individuals with disabilities to enhance their quality of life at the Wrentham Developmental Center.

Why are you running? Joe Botaish, my friend and Wrentham Select Board member, was fighting cancer and asked me to consider running to fill his position. Joe passed in January.  He was a good man, devout Catholic and servant to the town of Wrentham for many years.  In Joe’s honor I began to investigate the town’s challenges and made the commitment to serve and protect Wrentham’s traditional values that have served my family so well over the years.

How would you propose funding local services in the short term, including schools, police, and public works, while keeping property taxes manageable for residents? We must ensure that our essential services have the resources and funding to provide our constituents with the safety and lifestyle to which they have been accustomed. To achieve this, while minimizing the tax burden on residents, I would prioritize the following:

• Collaborate with local delegates (Representative Marcus Vaughn, State Senator Becca Rausch, and Congressman Jake Auchincloss) to secure state and federal funding for critical infrastructure, education, and public safety needs.

• Support our local businesses and additional economic development without imposing on the lifestyle, safety, schools, water and or traffic patterns that our residents experience today.

• Conduct comprehensive budget reviews of the town’s expenditures to identify efficiencies while exploring partnerships with neighboring communities to increase service levels and reduce costs.

What is your view on Wrentham’s long-term financial sustainability, especially considering potential infrastructure needs and other growing demands in the future? Long-term financial sustainability requires proactive planning to ensure we can meet infrastructure demands without overburdening taxpayers. My approach would include:

• A review and assessment of Wrentham’s Multi-Year Capital Plan that considers renovations and infrastructure improvements for our roads, water, sewer, and schools that can be planned, phased, and potentially supported by state development grants and funding sources secured by our local delegates.

• Continue and encourage a smart growth strategy, generating new revenues through public-private partnerships and developers whose efforts align with Wrentham’s character.

• Promote the continued need for financial reserves that will strengthen our balance sheet and our ability to cover unexpected costs without placing a strain on taxpayers.

What is your position on the MBTA Communities Act? The Act presents both opportunities and challenges for Wrentham. I support responsible housing development that aligns with our town’s character and infrastructure capacity: 

• Each town should have local control over zoning changes to protect taxpayers and control the growth of their town in line with the anticipated revenues per the town’s Home Rule Charter. 

• Impact studies, provided by the state, must be issued, studied, and shared with the residents before moving forward with any rezoning effort to comply with this Act. In addition, all unfunded aspects of the Act must be disclosed.

• Prior to a vote to rezoning, administrators and constituents must fully understand the tax implications, the potential change in demand for water, sewer, schools, and traffic patterns, and ensure that capital projects are planned, funded, and in alignment with the incremental housing developments.